yesterday i was talking to a Guy and i asked what time it was and he git really excited and said "time for you to get aaaaa.... SUNDIAL!!" and then started talking about sundials and sounding like a fucking commercial and i pointed out that sundials have to be in one specific spot to work and he got all nervous and asked if i've tried a sextant. what the fuck
not to sound like Sundial Salesman Guy but … he’s lowkey right, if you’re in a place with a fair amount of sunlight. two weeks ago i was hanging out with a little kid when she wondered aloud what time it was. i looked at the sun, adjusted my body a bit, put my elbow on the ground with the arm up perpendicular, and told her “it’s about 12:45.”
then she had to get a watch to see if i was right (pretty much — it was 12:50), and then i found myself explaining cardinal directions and sundials to a preschooler
ANYWAY MY POINT IS that no, sundials don’t require a fixed place for efficiency, only enough sun to cast a shadow & awareness of your relative direction, and knowing this is great but going on about it makes you sound horny for ancient Rome
if you don't know how to make a sundial but need a guesstimate on how much daylight is left, hold your hand out at arm's length horizontally and count how many fingers fit between the sun and the horizon. it's about 15 minutes a finger.
literally all you people sound insane to me